Stop High School Drop Out Rate By Addressing the Real Problems Instead of Traditional Symptoms

High school drop out rates are being released nationwide according to a new formula mandated by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) education law. These rates may cause both taxpayers and parents to once again scratch their heads and ask the simple question: What is the cause to drop high school given all the billions of dollars that are continually poured into these public schools to ensure acceptable high school graduation rates?

In Indiana, for example, data now suggests that 1 out of 4 students on a statewide average drops out of high school. Within the next couple of months, every individual school district within the United States will release their own high school graduation rates.

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The NCLB calculation is lot more about common sense than many educators wish to admit to parents and taxpayers. Instead of figuring graduation rates from the beginning of the senior year to the end of the senior year, schools are being forced to report graduation rates based on those who entered as freshman and those who graduated as seniors. Recently, I have informally surveyed over 100 parents and 99 of them thought that this was how graduation rates were actually calculated. Given that schools receive on an average of ,000 per year from taxpayers' dollars for each student in the public school system for each year by not including those who left school before graduation skews both the effectiveness and efficiency of public education. Maybe that is why some superintendents feel that their response to this common sense approach is moral outrage about policing students instead of addressing the real reasons that schools are failing to graduate students.

If we take a results approach perspective of this data, we can honestly say that the public education system is producing one defective product out of four. With baby boomers retiring during the next decade, the U.S. economy will be facing critical shortages in finding qualified and educated workers. Unless, public education makes significant changes in how they educate young people, the U.S. is in meltdown and will lose its number one place in the world economy.

Not only will these drop out rates negatively affect the growing of the economy of each community, state and our nation, these undereducated young people will add costs to each state's bottom line. The Friedman Foundation based in Indianapolis estimated that the dropouts for 2006 will cost the state of Indiana over million each year until these students die. Given that life rates are increasing, Indiana taxpayers can expect at least 20 to 30 years or billions of wasted dollars being spent on these young people These costs are calculated from lost tax revenue, social health care such as Medicaid and incarceration.

Educational research suggests that most young people make the decision to drop out in middle school or junior high. Early kindergarten is not the answer as no matter how much education is available prior to these early adolescent years. Unless the young people are actively engaged in their learning, we will continue to see these unacceptable drop out rates.

The Gates Foundation in a report released earlier this year revealed that over 40% of the students dropped out because the classes were not interesting. Given that even many of the economically deprived have had exposure to computers and high technology, much of the instruction is still based upon the agrian school system that is still the foundation for the U.S. public education system. Also, another survey released by Civic Enterprises suggested that 90% of the drop outs had passing grades, but left again because classes were too boring. When reading more solutions to this problem, the answer is another curriculum based upon existing beliefs that have originated from an agrian economy. The truth is our country failed to restructure education when the industrial revolution happened and still employs a patch approach to fixing the problem. Hence, this is why true education reform has never existed in this country since the 1970's.

One of the best analogies to this problem is to imagine a small miniature horse pulling a cart. The small horse and cart have been covered in fiberglass to look like a modern, high performance vehicle. However, in spite of its high performance looks, it is still a one horse engine. This is what our educational system truly is. And the sooner, we as parents, business people, taxpayers, educational professionals and even students admit the real problem, the sooner we can begin to stop high school drop outs.

If we are committed to Einstein's definition of insanity that being doing the same thing over and over again hoping for different results, education will continue to deliver a negative return on the taxpayers' dollars. However, if we begin to construct a new belief system that is not based upon an agrian economy but one that is based upon a 21st century knowledge and technology economy, we may just begin to turn the tide and retain our high standards of living and our number one position in the global economy.

Stop High School Drop Out Rate By Addressing the Real Problems Instead of Traditional Symptoms

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The Cause, Symptoms, and Treatment of the Tailor's Bunion

Bunions are a well known and much reviled foot deformity involving a prominent big toe joint. The issues regarding pain in shoes and pressure on the prominent big toe joint are generally understood by the general public, and many people seek wider shoes or surgery to have this potentially painful deformity corrected. Of lesser 'fame', but no less important is the Tailor's bunion. This article will discuss this deformity, and how it can be treated.

The joint at the base of the little toe, called the 5th metatarsal phalangeal joint, is somewhat different than the joint at the base of the big toe, where a traditional bunion is located. Its anatomic function in sharing the weight of the body and propelling the foot during walking is different, so therefore its shape and structure will differ from the big toe joint on the other side of the foot. However, a similar deformity can occur generally for the same reasons bunions occur at the big toe joint, leading to pain and a prominent bone against the side of the shoe. In essence, a Tailor's bunion (also called a bunionette) is either an enlargement of the end of the 5th metatarsal bone outward against the side of the foot, or it is a spreading or bowing of this bone away from the foot, causing the same pressure. The result is pressure of the joint against the skin on the outside of the foot, on the exact opposite end of where a traditional bunion develops. Tight shoes will initially aggravate this site, causing skin irritation where the rubbing occurs. Eventually, the irritation will spread to the tissue underneath the skin, and a protective fluid bag called a bursa may develop to pad the surface between the skin and the prominent bone. In time, this bag itself may become inflamed, and the direct tissue covering the joint will follow suit, as an inflammatory condition called capsulitis develops. In advanced cases, pain and irritation can develop even in the absence of a shoe, simply with pressure from barefoot walking.

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Traditional myth holds that the name 'Tailor's bunion' is derived from the way tailor's would sit and sew, with the feet cross-legged and underneath the body. In this position, the outside of the foot receives great pressure, and the little toe joint would therefore become irritated and inflamed after awhile. Certainly not seen only in tailors, this condition in actuality has its origins in genetics and foot structure. If one is born with a foot that is somewhat more flexible and mobile, the resulting excess motion will eventually lead to a migration of the 5th metatarsal bone away from the rest of the foot. The little toe, on the other hand, will migrate inward toward the toe next to it, leading to the prominent area on the outside of the little toe joint seen in a Tailor's bunion. If the foot is more stable structurally, a Tailor's bunion can still develop through a process of mechanical irritation on the bone itself as a enlargement or spur of the side of the bone slowly grows over time in some people. Tight shoes do not really cause this condition, but they certainly will encourage inflammation of the tissue over the bone, leading to pain and a definite awareness of the deformity if it was not noticed before.

Treatment for Tailor's bunions can be as simple as changing shoes to as complicated as reconstructive surgery. One of the first things that needs to be employed when treating this condition is to look at the shoes worn on a daily basis. The majority of the time when a Tailor's bunion is painful, these shoes will be narrow or pointed. Women's dress shoes, and certain types of men's dress shoes or reinforced boots will be in this category. Sometimes a simple conversion to a wider or more box-shaped shoe will alleviate all discomfort. In advanced cases, however, even roomier shoes will cause discomfort. This is mainly due to the inflammation occurring under the skin. In some cases, gel, foam, or felt padding can be used to help decrease joint pressure, although this tends to increase the 'bulk' of the foot in the shoe, and may have the opposite effect by making the shoe tighter. The inflammation itself can be treated with anti-inflammatory medications or injections, although these do not have any effect on the actual cause of structural irritation of the joint. In some cases, the use of prescription inserts (orthotics) can stabilize the 5th metatarsal, and limit the amount of instability, leading to a lessening of Tailor's bunion symptoms. Long term use of orthotics may even help limit the development of a Tailor's bunion outright, although use must begin at an early age.

In order to permanently correct a Tailor's bunion, and eliminate the shoe irritation from the equation, surgery is required. Surgery essentially involves removal of the bone prominence. How this is done can vary depending on the nature of the bone deformity. If the side of the bone is simply enlarged, the surgeon can shave the enlarged portion off and this will be enough to relieve the symptoms. Healing for this is relatively quick, with most patients returning to a regular shoe within a few weeks, and time off the foot is usually limited to only a few days after surgery. If the bone position is abnormal, and the 5th metatarsal is angled or bowed away from the foot, a procedure to return it to a correct position is required. During this surgery, the bone is cut and moved in such a way that the normal position is restored, and screws or wires are used to hold the bone down so the cut end can heal. Recovery takes six weeks on average, usually while in a walking boot, although some surgeons may prefer a cast in certain cases. Both these surgeries tend to be quite successful, and have low rates of significant complications.

While not as well known as a traditional bunion, a Tailor's bunion is nonetheless just as common, and can be just as painful. As one can see from this article, treatment options for this condition are available and can provide long lasting relief. It is yet another example of a foot condition that does not need to be suffered through for a lifetime.

The Cause, Symptoms, and Treatment of the Tailor's Bunion

Dr. Kilberg provides compassionate and complete foot and ankle care to adults and children in the Indianapolis area. He is board certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery, and is a member of the American Podiatric Medical Association. He enjoys providing comprehensive foot health information to the online community to help the public better understand their feet. Visit the website of this Indianapolis foot doctor for more articles.

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